NTUCB President discusses progress of OSH Bill

The National Trade Union Congress of Belize and the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry say that their joint committee, which was examining the Occupational Safety and Health Bill have completed their work. That work entailed a painstaking examination of the proposed legislation and making recommendations, suggesting clarifications or amendments or calling for a complete repeal of parts of the legislation, which was first introduced in 2014. Love News asked NTUCB President, Luis Luke Martinez for an update. 

Luis Luke Martinez, President NTUCB: “Jointly NTUCB and Chamber we signed a joint letter and we’ve submitted our final report to the Ministry of Labour and we’re hoping that now that goes to the Labour Advisory Board and then tabled to Cabinet and then tabled in the house for ascent. So we’re hoping that the government would take health safety as an important issue not only ere in Belize but in the region that we’re able to show that we are willing to lead towards that direction. So from my end I haven’t heard anything from the Ministry of Labour as yet maybe you all would want to reach out to them and find out from them how is that feedback coming along or what actions they intend to take given that the parties NTCUB and the Chamber has completed their task. The job now is to ensure that it moves from one place to the other and sure that it enacted.”

The letter that the two organisations sent to Minister of Labour Oscar Requena also recommended that this legislation continues to be a separate, independent and unique piece of legislation rather than be subsumed into the Labour Act.